SpaceX Likely to be Certified to Compete for EELV Contracts

10 January 2014
Following the successful launch of the Thaicom-6 commercial telecommunications satellite 6 January, Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) appears to have met the U.S. Air Force’s requirements to bid on national security launches. While the company has not received formal certification for its Falcon 9 v1.1 rocket to compete for Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) program launches, Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command, told Space News he has not seen anything from the vehicle’s three flights that would preclude that from happening. If the rocket is certified, SpaceX would become the first new competitor in the EELV program, which launches all U.S. national security satellites and which as of today are launched aboard ULA’s Atlas 5 and Delta 4 rockets. (Image Credit: SpaceX)More Info > (Space News)